Dear Stardust

Michael Murphy

Dear Stardust, It’s how I write to the future. How will you write your letter to the future? Follow Dear Stardust, a deep, intimate experience, to hear how the world sees the world. Following a long tradition of looking towards the future and our place in it, Dear Stardust will feature a curated selection of letters to the future from prominent people across Australia, each addressed to some time in the future. When? Well, that’s up to you... It's also up to you what you make of it...

Episodes

  1. Gorgeous Marks - Professor Phil Cummins

    08/19/2025

    Gorgeous Marks - Professor Phil Cummins

    What does it mean to chip a mark? A character? Professor Phil Cummins, Hooke Family Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership at the University of Sydney. Phil presents "Traces" his contribution to Dear Stardust, and leaves gorgeous marks on us with his letter and his work. In his letter and our gorgeous conversation, we talk history, future, marks, character, and fine silk scarves. Shout outs to: The Cummins family - for welcoming us into their lives Mrs Lemon - for her sheer enthusiasm and belief Marcus Edwards - for leaving an endearing gorgeous mark on Phil’s life Eva the school secretary - for being strong and leading with conviction to help Phil be his best Sydney Character Initiative - for helping speak about character education with an Australian accent Leonard Cohen - for giving us beautiful words to describe character Geoff Richards - for lifting up Phil when he felt small in the world David Thomas - for teaching Phil from 1982 still to today Game Changers Podcast - for showing us the way and helping us take steps forward and up, and for shining a light on bold pioneers Bill Gaynor from Mercedes College - for having the same impact on me through actions and deeds Wayne Cotton - for being an all round good guy who shines a light on good teachers not just good teaching Tim Allender and Jonathan Dallimore- for shining a light on the relationship in the classroom Jay Leno - for suggesting that the car liberated the horse, and giving the hint that perhaps the science of learning could be used to liberate the educator a School for tomorrow - for making marks on the landscape in Australia Circle education - for advancing meaningful education The University of Sydney and the Hooke Family - for their bravery in selecting and supporting Phil in his professorial debut Eddie Woo and Scott Sleep - for being incredible colleagues and teachers Anne McAllan - for joining Phil in introducing historiography into the NSW curriculum Australian character education alliance, Sandra Milligan and Jim Togilini, University of Melbourne, the SACE board, and Learning Creates, Nicole Dyson, Janette Cheah (HEX) - for their work in broadening what it means to flourish The Smith School and Lawrence Wainwright at Oxford University - for giving us meaningful education in the world of sustainability Adriano Di Prato - for, amongst many things, challenging binary thinking Ray Swann from Brighton Grammar School - for supporting young men to interact positively with the world David Atkinson from Dr Challanon's Grammar school - for putting some of this work into words

    54 min

About

Dear Stardust, It’s how I write to the future. How will you write your letter to the future? Follow Dear Stardust, a deep, intimate experience, to hear how the world sees the world. Following a long tradition of looking towards the future and our place in it, Dear Stardust will feature a curated selection of letters to the future from prominent people across Australia, each addressed to some time in the future. When? Well, that’s up to you... It's also up to you what you make of it...